Wherever the Roads May Run
by Kiss of the Breeze
Summary: :sequel to A Fantastic Upheaval: After more than a week of searching, a cure for Creeper's Sun has finally been found. Unfortunately, it involves tracking down Angor Rot
1. Chapter 1

Strickler sat on Barbara's bed and away from prying eyes. It hadn't been any trouble to sneak the book out from the various piles before anyone could stumble upon it. The temptation to open the cover and flip through the pages was a palpable feeling but the dread in his gut was equal in its weight.

He heeded the warning of his instincts.

The book of Ga-Huel. It was a unique relic that held the complete history of trolls and Gumm-Gumms; but, what set it apart from other records was the very thing that held him back and tempted him all at once. An unseen hand updated the pages, with passages appearing even before the events they detailed came to pass. Now, though, he had witnessed first hand that not everything it said could be trusted for inevitable. The soft sheets beneath him were proof enough that nothing was set in stone.

He had acted off script and the future was already rippling forward with the momentum of his choices.

His past reliance on the book had cost him and he was determined not to fall again. It had told him Gunmar would be free and so he had not even questioned whether the dark troll would return and triumph. His trust in the book's certainty had stopped him from siding with the Trollhunter until he hadn't been given a choice in the matter. Most recent in its offenses, it had given him the idea to use the Soul Binding spell that had backfired so spectacularly. He didn't need to be burned any further to have learned his lesson.

While there had been countless times the book had been proven right, with the clarity of hindsight and his newfound distrust, he was certain those events had only come to pass because he and his had worked to assure that they would happen. The Order had been given orders and their execution kept the book from being wrong. Those rare times that events had gone differently, the original prediction vanished.

The missing entries really should have been the first indication that things were not as they appeared. He had been so focused on meeting goals rather than looking to the bigger picture that certain details he should have questioned were pushed to the side or glossed over in favor of weaving his own ambitions.

The book had never been treated as an itinerary, had not been consulted daily or even weekly, but its quiet foreknowledge had always felt like an ace in the hole for the Janus Order.

Until now.

Part of him wanted to burn the book but he was afraid of what the consequences could be if he did. In the same way he had warned Draal off of destroying the Inferna Copula, he was hesitant to apply force to a magic he did not fully understand. At this point, the best thing he could think of was to hide it.

Reaching under Barbara's bed, he pulled out one of the suitcases he had recently purchased. Among some of his more personal treasures that had been salvaged from his apartment, it held a few changes of clothes and now it would hold this secret as well. He stuffed the Book of Ga-Huel into the bottom of the case with extreme prejudice as he piled the clothes and mementos over top of it.

As he closed the case, he thought he heard his name whispered on the soft whoosh of air following the lid coming down. He quickly locked the clasps.

The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as he shoved the suitcase back under the bed.

He didn't like the idea of keeping it so close, and especially not in Barbara's room, but he was currently lacking in options. He didn't trust others to know about it, so until he could think of a nice hole to bury it in, he felt it best that it be within his easy reach so as to guard it.

His phone let out a chime and he jumped, nearly having to fight the impulse to clutch his chest. He let out a self-depreciating laugh at how tightly wound he was and forced himself to relax as he dug into his pocket to read the text.

 _I'm getting off early. Thank heaven for small mercies. Feet are killing me. See you soon._

His smile turned soft and he tucked his phone away again to go and see about having food on the table for when Barbara made it through the door.

O-_-o-_-O

"By Deya! I think we've finally found something!" Blinky enthused as he lumbered up the stairs.

"I find it amusing how you treat her like some kind of deity. By Deya this, Deya's Grace that," Otto commented mildly from the dinning room, turning his attention away from staring a hole into the back of Jim's head- as if he could will the food to arrive sooner.

Walter rolled his eyes as he set the table and poked the other changeling with a fork when he passed him. Otto swatted at him ineffectively and was ignored.

Blinky continued on as if he hadn't heard anything. He plopped an old book onto the table without any mind for the dishes Walter had meticulously aligned and ignored the glare Walter tossed his way. Instead, he flipped back to the pages that had him so excited.

"Here! This time there's no mention of needing full petrification! And unlike the one that called for a volcanic flower harvested on a night of a new moon, the required items seem easy enough to obtain."

Jim and Walter leaned over either side of the table to look and the changeling snorted, "Except that it requires the blade that dealt the wound. I don't suppose you have Angor Rot on speed-dial?"

Blinky waved a hand, "He can't have gotten far! There are tracking spells, I'm sure he can be found."

Otto rolled his eyes and said derisively, " _Ja,_ because it was so easy the first time. And that was with him staying in one place! How long since he left? Over a week? This will _not_ be an easy task."

"But it _can_ be done!" Blinky shot back, entirely undeterred.

"Honey! I'm home!" Barbara's voice rang from the front door in a sing-song imitation of an old sitcom, interrupting those at the table before a full argument could occur.

Walter hesitated a moment and looked to Jim, unsure if she meant one of the two of them with her term of endearment or if she was merely following the quote. He crinkled his nose at that train of thought and at the idea of being called _honey_. He'd leave that nickname to Jim.

Thumps from the basement heralded the arrival of Draal, as if summoned by the return of Barbara. Walter smirked to himself as the crowd shuffled around the dinning room in what was becoming an all too familiar scene. He had never been the social sort, and even now he felt more like an outside observer to this odd domesticity. They were a motley lot, to be sure, and most of the time they barely felt like allies. Yet, somehow despite that, they'd come to resemble something like a family to him.

He had already acknowledged to himself that he wished to have Barbara and Jim within that role, but the assorted hangers-on were an unexpected but not entirely unwelcome addendum.

"Walt?"

"Hm?" Lost to introspection, he had missed the question Barbara had asked.

"I asked if you thought this would work," she said, gesturing to the book Blinky had yet to remove from the table. She had obviously been filled in on the details while he had been distracted.

"Since it's been determined that we are not going to use the easiest cure by simply waiting for the curse to run its full course; then yes, this has been the best option presented thus far and has the highest chance of success."

Jim nodded, seemingly full of renewed determination, "Okay. What do we need?"

"We need to get the roast out of the oven before it gets dry," Otto complained, settling back into his chair and looking entirely unimpressed. Jim jolted and then darted to the kitchen.

Otto adjusted his glasses further up his nose, and added in a more causal tone, "Any location spell we might use is going to need a Hag-Stone."

O-_-o-_-O

Nomura held her breath as another troop of goblins scampered by her hiding spot.

The Darklands offered next to nothing by way of foliage but so far she had been lucky enough to find several patches of the smelly weeds that bore fruit. Like everything else in this forsaken realm, they tasted foul and did not satisfy but they had held off starvation for this long, she would not complain.

As soon as the last goblin was out of sight, she stood to her full height and stretched. Her joints complained loudly at the motion but she ignored the discomfort and started plucking the shriveled purple fruits that would sustain her for another day in this hellscape.

Changelings were made to adapt and survive. She would not let this place break her.


	2. Chapter 2

Draal shifted slightly and picked a small shard of glass out of his teeth. His attention had drifted away from the conversation around the table. It wasn't that he didn't care but he'd always been more in favor of direct action. The tedium of planning usually gave him a hornache and made him restless. So, he busied himself with the last of the light bulbs Barbara had brought home for him and contented himself to wait.

Jim had called Claire and Toby over shortly after Blinky announced his discovery and from there ideas had been tossed back and forth about how to proceed. Not much had been accomplished yet as Jim kept inadvertently interrupting by returning to the kitchen. He couldn't help but feel compelled to make more food for the unplanned for guests despite the repeated assurances that the current array was enough to go around.

The mild bickering between Blinky and Otto also slowed things down and Draal rolled his eyes when Blinky muttered some four-syllable insult under his breath. He watched Strickler's head fall into his open palm and he gave a small snort in understanding when he saw the changeling mouthing "why" to himself.

Finally, Barbara had enough and smacked her hand against the table to get everyone's attention. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, enjoying the brief silence.

"Alright," she said, "we have agreed that we're going to do this, no more questioning if it's a good idea or not. It has been established that we'll need something called a Hag Stone. Is there anything else magical that we will need? Are we looking at a shopping list here or is that all?"

"A map would be helpful, but to utilize the Hag Stone we would first need something from the target. Hair is usually used or something that was owned by whoever it is one is trying to find. That's what I've been trying to say, we don't having anything like that," Otto answered in the overly patient tone of one who has been repeating himself far too many times.

"Oh! Actually!" Toby wiped his face with the back of his hand and then scooted out of his chair. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back!" He was out the front door at a bouncy jog before anyone could question him.

Jim added a basket of dinner rolls to the table and finally took a seat. A stilted calm settled over the room as everyone turned back to their plates while they waited for Toby to return. Nearly five minutes passed before the front door opened and closed again. The boy trotted to the table triumphantly holding his school bag then proceeded to dump its contents into his chair.

"Why do you have so many rocks in there?" Claire asked in amusement.

"Side hobby. Besides, we are literally friends with a bunch of rocks, how is it you _don't_ have a rock collection or at least a few geology books?" He shot back as he sorted through the pile. "Ah ha! Here, will this work?"

Walter's eyes widened, clearly impressed, "How did you get one of Angor's carvings?"

"I dug it out of the pile of clay from back when he freaked out all of Trollmarket and gave Jim the Kill Stone." He shrugged, "We destroyed all the other ones we ever came across, I thought it'd be cool to keep this one since it's the only one that didn't have to be smashed."

"Huh," Otto said around a bite of pork, "that will actually work very well."

Blinky's smile was a cross between radiant and smug, "Excellent! I will acquire the Adder Stone tonight and we can set out tomorrow!"

"The what?"

"Adder Stone, Hag Stone, it's the same artifact. Now! Do we have a current map? I have an extensive cartography selection in my library but they may not be helpful in this instance."

" _Entschuldigung_ ," Otto laughed. "Tomorrow? Are you going to walk?"

"You both have automobiles," Blinky shot back, "and so does Barbara."

" _Ja_ , but Frau Lake has work, Strickler left his at the apartment complex and it would be a needless risk to go back for it now, and mine is old."

"My knowledge of the human world might be limited but I do not think you need a young car to travel."

"Um, yeah, kinda," Toby said, having eaten his fill and rejoining the conversation in earnest. "It usually depends but typically old cars don't do good on long road trips and from the way you guys were talking earlier, Angor Rot could be halfway across the country by now."

"Doubtful," Blinky muttered more to himself than anyone else. "But I will concede the point for the sake of finding an agreeable alternative. What, then, do you suggest?"

"Uh, Blink? You feeling okay? I know this is important but your eye is really starting to twitch," Jim observed in a concerned voice.

"I'm fiii- ah!" A third eye popped into existence and he gasped in surprise.

"The spell is finally wearing off!"

"Oh my," the troll acknowledged as a stone arm sprouted below his currently human one.

"It looks like you will not be going on a road trip after all," Walter commented from across the table.

"Well someone has got to!"

A captivated hush fell as everyone watched the rapid transformation from human to troll in open curiosity. Awkward though it looked, Blinky never seemed like he was in any pain from the changes. It took less than two minutes before another full troll was standing in the room.

There was a moment of floundering where Blinky attempted to cover himself with the tattered remains of his human garments that had ripped off, but his modesty was spared by Claire's quick thinking. She ran to the living room and pulled the decorative blanket off the back of the sofa and tossed it to him. He tucked it around his waist like a wrap but did not seem interested in excusing himself from the table.

After another moment's pause, once everyone had acclimated to the change, the conversation picked up where it left off.

"Walt, will you go?"

Strickler looked surprised as he turned to Barbara. His mouth opened and closed twice without words, clearly torn between not wanting to do it and not wanting to tell her no.

Otto winked at him as he helped himself to another buttered roll, "One of the many pains of deciding to be one of the _good_ guys, yes?"

Walter looked at his fellow changeling for a long moment before seeming to make up his mind. He nodded, "Alright, but Otto is coming with me."

Otto paused mid bite, considered this, then shrugged and went back to chewing.

"Wait, just the two of you?" Barbara asked with obvious uncertainty.

"Well I'm not leaving him _here_ by himself and besides, this is going to be a two person job."

"But by yourselves?"

"It sounds like you do not trust me," Otto looked nothing but amused as he daintily wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin.

"I'm sorry, and no offense, but I kind of don't. I mean, you've been more than pleasant enough for being an unexpected extended house guest but after being told on multiple occasions not to trust changelings..."

Otto laughed outright, a light and ringing giggle, "Oh do not apologize! I would have been offended if Strickler had not thought of me as enough of a threat to warn against! Though, if you have been so warned how is it you trust him so much?"

Barbara's cheeks warmed to pink and she looked quickly to Walter before turning back to answer, "He's proven himself more than once. We've had several long heart-to-hearts and there was the whole truth serum incident to prove that he's honestly switched sides."

"Ach, there's no question about who's side he's on but that doesn't mean he is no longer a changeling."

"Enough trying to make trouble," Walter said, swatting the other man in the back of the head and knocking his glasses askew. "Blinkous, if you will find us a Hag Stone, we will find you Angor Rot."

"I wish someone else could go with you, and not just because of the changeling thing, either. Only two people?"

"I could still go," Blinky said, sounding hopeful. "Maybe just cover the windows during the day?"

"Why not just rent a van? One with either tinted windows or none at all in back," Toby suggested.

Walter pulled a face at the mere idea of being trapped on a road trip with both Blinky and Otto. He tried for subtle, "Shouldn't you stay here for your Trollhunter? You are his acting liaison, are you not?"

"Then what about Draal?"

Draal, having been reenacting training regiments in his mind, tuned back into the conversation at the mention of his name, "Huh?"

O-_-o-_-O

Otto gave a cheerful beep of the horn as he pulled into the driveway in a large gray van. The sides were covered in splotches of color from where an old logo had not been successfully removed but it otherwise looked to be sturdy and in good condition. Walter frowned at it and then up to the cloudy pre-dawn sky. It looked like rain.

He leaned down and picked up his suitcase. He didn't know how long this was going to take and felt the need to be prepared. He would have brought the case with him, anyway, even if he knew he would only be gone a day. It was an uncomfortable weight in his hand as he transferred it into the floorboard.

His phone chimed.

 _Good luck and please be careful._

Barbara had left for work against her will. She had wanted to see them off but had been called in for an emergency. He smiled fondly at her message before sending a reassuring answer. He had just pressed 'send' when he was startled by Freddy Mercury's voice loudly cutting through the early morning quiet.

 _"Too much love can kill you, just as sure as none at all..."_

"Turn that down! We still have to smuggle Draal out here, we don't need to wake the neighbors."

The other changeling laughed, " _Tut mir leid_ , it was too perfect. You looked so sickeningly sentimental, I couldn't help it." He grinned and pointed at the radio, "Someone left a CD in here! Who knows what it was before Queen but this is a good start for a trip, _ja_?"

Strickler rolled his eyes at the joke then turned on his heel to go and retrieve Draal before the sun or any of the neighbors decided to rise.

A minute later and the large blue troll was hesitantly looking into the empty back of the van. He seemed even less enthusiastic than Strickler. Finally, he sighed then clamored up into the vehicle. Walter eyed the tires in some concern as the entire van shifted lower under the troll's bulk. After a few seconds it became apparent that the van could manage the load and Walter shut the doors.

Climbing in himself, he pulled a map out of his jacket pocket along with a small green rock with a hole in its center. He made quick work of tying it to a string and muttering the needed incantation. In a flash the stone turned a glowing purple and swung out over the paper to hover unassisted. It positioned itself over the bottom corner of Oregon. He folded the map back up and the stone switched directions, pointing north in a way that defied gravity.

"We now have a general direction. To the interstate."

An hour into the trip and Strickler had forcibly changed the channel to an instrumental station after getting tired of Otto commenting "this is a song for you and Barbara" after every song remotely about love. He was just beginning to settle in when a groan from behind him caught his attention.

"Are you alright back there?"

"This box is making me nauseous. Human transportation moves too slow, my stomach heaves at every bump."

Otto snorted, "Do not throw up, I will lose the deposit."

Strickler frowned and looked in the rear-view mirror. Draal appeared as miserable as he had ever seen him and certainly looked close to puking despite Otto's half joke of a warning.

"I might be able to help," Strickler said after a few moments of silent consideration. Draal met his gaze through the mirror and seemed ready to beg. "If you trust me to do it, I can put you to sleep. It may not be a long nap, but you can't have motion sickness if you aren't conscious."

The other troll's frown deepened, "How?"

"Like the ability to shift forms and an immunity to sun, we changelings have a specific magic that allows us to induce sleep. It's a very nifty trick and I'm offering it to you now."

With a grunt, Draal nodded and leaned forward. Walter turned completely around in his seat and reached back, placing his fingers against the side of the other troll's head. With a small flash of green light Draal sank blissfully into sleep. The van gave a small jerk as his weight redistributed and Walter turned back around.

Otto was giving him a thoughtful look out of the corner of his eye.

"What," he asked flatly.

The changeling smirked and shrugged, "Nothing."

O-_-o-_-O

"Ha! Yeah right," NotEnrique said to his phone as he flicked his thumb across the screen. He had been having a good time until the door to his nursery opened unexpectedly. He turned around to find Claire's father staring at him in horror, a stuffed dog dropped in surprise lying at his feet.

He hadn't had time to shift.

"Pops, wait," he tried, extending a hand in what he hoped looked reassuring.

The man yelled and charged him, " _Where is my son!_ "

NotEnrique dodged to the other side of his bed to evade capture, then he jumped up onto the railing and touched his hand to the man's dark hair.

He slumped forward immediately and draped awkwardly over the edge of the crib.

The changeling cringed and gently tried to move him to the floor by lowering the guard rail and cushioning his head. He sat for a moment with the man's head against him and ran his claws through the short fringe of black bangs.

"Aw, pops. You really deserve better. You and mum both." In that moment he wanted nothing more than to let them know the truth.

He blinked, bulbous eyes widening at the sudden emotion. They deserved to know the truth. He would tell them.

His fingers stopped their petting.

He would tell them the truth.

"But first," he said out loud as he looked down at the sleeping man, "I need ta get your real rugrat back to soften the blow."


	3. Chapter 3

The world came into focus slowly.

 _"Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain – telling me just what a fool I've been..."_

He didn't know this song. But then, he only knew a small number of human songs to start with. The tune was pleasing enough and as he rolled over he became aware of the sound of actual raindrops pounding away at the roof of their vehicle. Briefly, he wondered how long he had been asleep. The thought didn't stay with him long as his eyes closed and he found the new position to be quite comfortable.

 _"...the only girl I care about has gone away, lookin' for a brand new start – but little did she know that when she left that day, along with her she took my heart..."_

He frowned at the lyrics. They sent a familiar thump through his chest. He decided to focus instead on the waves of pounding water overhead and the whirl of the van's various parts: the hum of the engine and the swish of the windshield-wipers. It wasn't long before he dozed off again.

When next he awoke he felt more like himself. There was a different song on and the two changelings in front of him were back to squabbling.

"Are you trying to put me to sleep? The last five songs have all been slow. Dreadfully slow. Turn the station!"

"I know this song," Draal said, surprising both himself and the other two males.

"Ah! _Guten morgen_ , sleeping drooly," Otto replied with facetious cheer.

"I never thought of you as a fan of soul music," Walter answered with a wry grin as he looked back at the troll who had been napping for the better part of two hours.

Draal didn't know what he meant by that and instead said, "I remember Barbara singing it."

"Oooooh, is that so? Do you hear that, Strickler? Your woman likes a man with a _slow hand_. Are you a lover with an _easy touch_?"

If he had any reluctance in changing the channel before, it left in an instant as the station suddenly switched. The Pointer Sisters were replaced with a light-hearted ode to drinking and Walter tried to will away the blush warming his neck and ears. He refused to rise to the bait, just as he'd refused all the other times this morning. He hoped that Otto would eventually grow bored of the baseless speculations into his and Barbara's relationship. It didn't seem likely.

Retaliation came from an unexpected source as the van jerked slightly in time with Otto's exclamation of discomfort. Draal had reached forward and flicked the changeling soundly on the back of his head.

"Stop talking about Barbara like that."

Otto snickered and rubbed the spot where Draal had hit him. He was highly amused but willing to hold his tongue in order to keep the van on the road.

"Don't take it so personally, I like the woman well enough. She's quite a pleasant human; there just isn't much I have to hold over this one," he said after he was able to stop giggling. The fact that he could rile them both up was a fun bonus but the rain had not stopped and he really couldn't afford to lose control of the wheel from any more blows to the head. He assumed Draal lacked the foresight to restrain himself so instead he let the subject drop.

The troll in back snorted and tried to readjust himself. The roads had evened out and without having to stop constantly for traffic, along with an absence of winding curves, Draal's stomach had been given time to settle. He would attempt to stay awake for a while.

The song about drinking ended and another tune took its place. To Draal's surprise, he heard Walter begin to hum along. After a few seconds in, Otto began singing. The other changeling waggled his eyebrows behind the frames of his glasses and poked his cohort insistently with his elbow.

For a moment, it looked like Walter might refuse but then when the chorus hit, they were both belting along loudly.

 _"We didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the world's been turning! We didn't start the fire, though we didn't light it but we tried to fight it!"_

Draal wasn't sure if he was entertained or slightly annoyed by their antics. He decided it was a little of both. This was yet another song he didn't know. He hoped this warbling wasn't their actual singing voices and then he wondered why such a thought even mattered. After a moment's pondering he decided it was because he felt that his own singing voice was much better but that he wasn't in a position to show them up. His competitive nature bounced between the urge to roll his eyes or laugh. In the end he settled on a grimace.

The chorus came back around.

 _"We didn't start the fire-"_

"Ah, actually, we may have started a few," Otto interrupted suddenly, with a gleeful laugh.

Strickler choked back a laugh of his own and then conceded, "Probably more than just _a few."_

Draal shook his head. He recalled the various stories Blinky had relayed to him of his father's exploits and knew that they and their kind had likely started many fires. It was odd to think of such a thing and compare it to where he sat now, in the back of a human contraption and on amicable terms with those he once considered Impure. That thought caused him to frown.

When this alliance had first been proposed he had never expected it to last so long, nor had he thought that it had been genuine. Now, he might actually call Stricklander a friend. Jim had already hit this crossroad and had done so a lot harder than Draal was now; but that had been over a week ago. At that time, Draal hadn't thought too hard about it, willing instead to follow the lead of Barbara's indomitable will.

Perhaps it was a little late, but he sat himself back to mull over how he felt about the current state of things and the baffling relationships he had stumbled into. After a few minutes, he decided that he didn't mind. There wasn't much to be done for it now, anyway.

The changelings were more often than not an annoyance, in his opinion, but they were more tolerable than some other trolls he had known and by now familiarity alone had bred a level of fondness. Though, he would be hard pressed to admit that last bit out loud.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Walter's voice cut through his brooding and Draal looked up. Walter had changed the station again and the radio was now on a song that had no lyrics. The soothing ensemble of an orchestra rang from the speakers. The familiarity of the older music loosened the tension in the troll's shoulders. He didn't know one song from another in most cases, but this was a sort of human music that Blinky favored and he was at least used to it.

"I do not need a penny."

Otto blew a raspberry and rolled his eyes, "It was a turn of phrase. He is asking what you're looking so serious about back there about."

"Nothing."

"You are very clearly sulking," Walter countered.

"I do not sulk." It was said with just enough vehemence to sound exactly like sulking. The changelings shared a laugh and Draal rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Fine, don't tell us. I was only attempting polite conversation."

"I was thinking about how strange this last week has been. And I was thinking about how I don't know any flesh-bag songs." Strickler's easy dismissal was apparently just the way to get him to answer out of spite.

"Now, I don't believe that. You've lived with the Lakes for how long? You even recognized a song just a few minutes ago."

"But I do not _know_ any," Draal insisted, like the changeling was missing the obvious.

"What, are you wanting to sing along with us, hm?"

Silence.

When Otto looked into the rearview mirror his mocking smirk went to delighted radiance, " _Gott im Himmel!_ He does!"

Draal snorted and shook his head, "No."

"Oh-ho! You cannot deny it now! It is all over your face!"

"There is a difference between singing with and showing up," Draal countered, puffing out his chest in defiance and as a last grab at keeping his dignity- a hard task given the current company.

Walter cut off the radio and pulled out his phone, "We're a little over three hours in. We are all bored as hell. What's a song you know? Let's hear what you consider showing up."

"I told you, I don't know any human songs."

"No?" Walt raised a skeptical brow then pushed play on the video he had queued up on his phone. From the small device in his hand, _In the Hall of the Mountain King_ came out slightly muted and tinny but instantly recognizable.

Draal growled, his mood slipping from slightly annoyed to full on defensive. He crossed his arms for lack of anything to punch.

"Wait, wait, wait. _This_ is the troll Nomura was dating a few decades ago?!"

"I thought you knew that," Walter said, surprised. "I thought _everyone_ knew that."

" _Nein_ , I was away on an assignment and never got the details. What I do know is how upset she was. The breakup was... messy, I am told."

"It was never real. She was only using me to get to Trollmarket- to get to my father."

"Is that what you think?" Walter seemed surprised at first and then he shook his head and gave a small chuckle.

He shrugged, "Actually, no, that makes perfect sense. Given the usual protocols, your assumption would have been correct. However, that ill-fated flirtation was all in earnest. We didn't hear about it until well after it was over, of course, but it was clear that she had been genuinely invested."

Draal's expression flickered through a series of emotions before settling on disbelief, "How do I know you're not lying."

"I could be. But, to answer your question with a question: why would I? There's nothing for me to gain from you having this information."

If possible, Draal's scowl became even more pronounced as he considered the changeling's words. Edvard Grieg ended and the van fell into a hush. Finally, after a few minutes of awkward silence, Draal gave a stiff shrug.

It didn't matter now.

"I am done with the brooding. Put some music back on. Alright, drooly, name us a song. I am curious now and I think that you must know a few," Otto cut in, unwilling to let the troll off the hook.

Wanting to change the topic to anything else, Draal gave the question some serious thought before admitting uncertainty, "I remember one that I liked. Something about the hunger of a wolf and being on a hunt?"

Otto bust out laughing and Draal immediately went back to glowering, thinking that he was being made fun of.

" _Ach, nee!_ Duran Duran!?"

"Speak sense or shut up," Draal grumbled. His cheeks were turning purple and he wished he were anywhere but trapped in a human vehicle in daylight with these two.

"The artist most likely behind the song you are referencing," Walter clarified with his own amused smirk as he keyed in the title to his phone.

A few seconds later and the opening cords of _Hungry Like the Wolf_ filled the small space. Draal stopped frowning and perked up, recognition dawning.

"Yes! This one."

O-_-o-_-O

Claire's phone rang and she jumped. Tuning out the conversation Jim and Toby were having with Blinky, she excused herself and found a quieter place tucked behind a tall shelf to look at the caller-ID nervously. Her parents rarely called her.

She answered the call to her father in mid sentence and hardly coherent, " _...va la chingada_ \- _Chamaquita! Tu hermanito_ \- I don't- Where- Have you seen your brother?"

Internally she cursed NotEnrique, wondering where he could have run off to. Out loud she tried for convincing and reassuring, "Dad- Dad! It's okay, he's here with me. You, uh, you asked me to watch him for you for a little bit today, don't you remember?"

She cringed at the lie, hoping he wouldn't question much further.

She heard him exhale shakily on the other end and could imagine the static she heard over the speaker being him pressing the phone to his chest in relief.

"Where are you? You left his bag here at home," he was starting to sound more collected but his voice was still breathlessly rattled.

Claire looked at the warm glow of a crystal wall and could hear the rumble of trolls going about their daily routine in the distance, "We're at Jim's house."

"Humph," the disapproval could be felt through the phone. Instead of scolding he simply said, "I will bring his bag by."

"Oh! You don't have to!" He had already hung up and she cursed under her breath as his picture disappeared and her phone went back to its default screen. She frowned as she noticed two text notifications she had missed earlier. They were both from NotEnrique.

 _Borrowing the Fetch_

 _Keep an eye on pops while I'm gone_

"Hey, Claire! Everything alright?" Jim peeked his head around the corner to see where she had run off to.

Her eyes were wide and worried as she met his gaze, "We have a huge problem."


	4. Chapter 4

It had taken more effort than he had anticipated to move Javier from the nursery to his own room. The changeling had briefly debated simply leaving the man on the floor, but something akin to guilt nudged him into action. He also reasoned that it would buy him more time if his surrogate father woke up and thought he had simply had a bad dream than if he were to wake up to the sight of an empty crib.

"Uuf, man you're heavy," NotEnrique muttered as he slowly dragged the unconscious human down the hall. After several minutes of struggling and trying to be gentle, he finally managed to get the man onto his own bed. The changeling spared a moment to fluff the pillows before scurrying back to the crib where he had left his phone.

He fired off a quick message to Claire then he shifted back to his glamour and climbed up to perch on the window casement. A quick glance down the street assured that the coast was clear and he let himself out. With a disbelieving sigh, he set off for the Domzalski house- the last place he remembered seeing the Fetch

This was crazy.

He wasn't sure when it was that he had gone so soft but he couldn't think of any other reason as to why he would be risking his hide. He had adamantly refused to go back to the Darklands the last time he had been asked, and had even turned down a perfectly tantalizing bribe in the process! But, something about his human hosts had burrowed up under his skin and infected him. Their affection and attention was like an annoying tick and he had come down with the emotional equivalent of Lyme-disease.

He wouldn't be doing this if he were still sane.

As he stealthily made his way to his destination, several minutes were spent waiting crouched down under bushes and behind trees. Each time he stopped he had almost convinced himself to turn around and forget about the whole idea but then the car or pedestrian would pass and he would continue on his way. By the time he made it to Toby's house, his stomach was in a knot of dread.

He made quick work of scaling the house and up to the kid's bedroom- a task made only slightly more awkward in his human skin than what he could manage as a troll. He was relieved to find the room empty as he ducked inside.

The Fetch was stashed under Toby's messy bed, wedged between a delightful smelling duffle bag and the wall. NotEnrique shifted back to his true self and the stones of the portal flared to life under his claws. He debated diving right in, but a moment's hesitation was enough time to remember the way the two dimensions corresponded. So he set off to go back to where he remembered first coming to the surface world.

It had been a long while, and he had never particularly had a knack for where things where in one world versus the other but he remembered enough. Where he needed would be closer to the museum.

He was halfway across town when a new thought occurred to him. From where he had in mind, getting in wouldn't be a problem but if he came back out it would be as a troll and with a baby in tow. No, the old spot wasn't going to work. He wasn't stalling, he told himself as he switched directions and backtracked- he was just being thorough.

In the end, he crawled through the basement window of the Trollhunter's house, deciding that if something should go wrong he had the highest chances of backup there than if he were to enter from any place else. The Fetch would be safe and therefore he would be too when he got back.

He propped the portal against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Can't believe I'm 'bout to die bein' all sentimental."

O-_-o-_-O

Claire was pacing back and forth in a panic while Jim chewed on the tip of his thumb and tapped his foot with nervous energy as they tried to come up with a plan. Toby stood off to the side and rubbed his chin, humming under his breath with his brows furrowed.

"This is quite the conundrum," Blinky commiserated.

"Ugh! We can't keep wasting time just standing here. I at least need to be at your house before he shows up. Come on, we'll think of something on the way."

Claire had been about to start running but was stopped by a tap on her shoulder. She turned and was surprised to find a long tail sticking through a small hole in the wall behind her. The group stared in confusion for a moment before the tuft of fur on the tip of the tail flipped over and made a beckoning movement. Someone wanted them to come outside.

"Uh?" Toby asked eloquently, speaking for them all, as they shuffled out of the library and around to the back. There was a narrow passage that led behind the stone building where a larger cave could be seen beyond the glow of crystals.

A portion of the wall seemed to shift and suddenly they were looking at a giant female troll. The tail that had gotten their attention moved up and brushed back long locks of brown hair out of the creature's eyes. She smiled down at them and winked, "I couldn't help but hear your pressing predicament."

"Galelle!" Blinky exclaimed in startled recognition, "What are you doing back here? How did you even _fit_?"

Galelle was a lanky troll with bluish-grey skin that bore a striking resemblance to kyanite. She loomed above the group, possibly at nine and a half feet or more in height with dark shaggy hair that kept falling across her long, muzzle-like face. She wore dozens of necklaces, ropes, and chains and her hare-like ears were pierced in several places.

"Hullo, Blinkous! This is one of only five places I've found in all of Heartstone Trollmarket that has this type of moss," she explained and pointed to a previously unnoticed patch of slightly glowing plant life. The luminescent moss stretched across the back of Blinky's library and on further back towards the cave. "It's good for many things and I was collecting some when I overheard your problem." She flicked one of her long ears that rested over her shoulder.

"I may have something you can use."

"What?" Claire asked desperately.

The tall troll shifted in the tight space, her necklaces jingled and clattered as she crawled up onto the top of building she had been crouching behind, "Come with me! Let's hurry hurry."

Blinky used three hands to grab Jim and hold him back. As Toby and Claire ran on ahead, Blinky quietly warned, "Let us be careful, Master Jim. On my quest to find out how Draal got his hands on that Velsanlei Serum, I discovered that not only had he gotten it from Galelle but that she's also the one who gave him that Grit-Shaka necklace."

"Do you think she's trouble?"

"Not exactly, I only stress that we should be cautious."

Jim nodded then jogged to catch up to his friends.

The group crowded into Galelle's shop less than a minute later. It lie on the very edge of the market in a wide cave that looked like it had been chiseled out by hand. The space was physically large enough to accommodate everyone easily but it was stacked so full with various piles of trinkets that it instead felt cramped. They watched the troll navigate her collection with ease, the clinking of her necklaces and her muttering to herself broke the silence that had fallen.

"Holy tater-tots! You're not wearing a shirt!" Toby observed after Galelle had leaned over to look behind a desk of some sort. He poked Jim aggressively in the ribs and whispered, "Do trolls have mammary glands?"

Blinky coughed and Claire turned back to look at the boys in confusion and impatience. She was beginning to get antsy. Every second that ticked by, her father was probably getting closer and closer to knocking on Jim's door. She opened her mouth to tell the strange troll never mind when she was startled by suddenly being face to snout with her.

Galelle smiled and held up a small bag, dangling it in front of Claire's face. She pulled it back when the girl went to reach for it. However, she explained before Claire had a chance to fuss.

"I work barter style. A trade! I will give you this Hallchose Powder and you will give me your hair what-cha-call-it. Two of them. Purple, if you can, please."

Claire touched her head and felt her many clips. She nodded and motioned Jim over, directing him to help her, "Purple."

Jim blushed as he ran his fingers lightly over her hair. He pulled out two of her clips and attempted to smooth her dark strands back into place once he finished.

"Hallchose Powder!" Blinky sounded relieved and he laughed nervously, "Actually, yes, that could work!"

Apparently, Galelle had offered them something far more benign than the things she had given Draal in the past.

"Get your person to smell this, then tell them what they see, and they will see it. So, you need a baby? Maybe a rock? Something tiny, tell him it is the baby."

"Okay-thanks-bye!" Claire answered in a rush before she was sprinting off.

Toby and Jim turned to follow but Galelle's tail rested gently on Jim's shoulder, stopping him. He turned back to her with an awkward lift of his brow, wondering what else she wanted.

She smiled, "Did you get your answers, Trollhunter? Draal has been telling me much of how he looks after you and of your many exploits."

Jim shrugged stiffly, remembering the truth potion and how that night had been a turning point.

"I- Yeah, I guess I did. Thanks?"

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, then turned to Toby. She leaned closer with a conspiratorial look and with a stage whisper asked, "What is a mammary gland?"

"WELP! We really need to go and help Claire! Thanks again, lady! We'll see you around sometime! Hurry, Jim! This is important!"

Galelle watched the humans run off with a knowing smile then turned back to Blinky. He was watching her with a contemplative look. She shifted her tail to move all of her bangs back so she could look him over with both eyes.

They had already had a heated discussion regarding one of her favorite customers and how Draal's good intentions had caused the Trollhunter and his guardians massive hornaches; she wondered if a similar discussion was about to start again.

"I hope this works better than other such items that have been acquired from your shop in the recent past."

"You know and I know that items are not to be blamed for their misuse. It will be fine."

"I do hope your optimism is well placed."

O-_-o-_-O

Claire looked down at the pillow in her arms and once more cursed NotEnrique. Her dad would be pulling up any second and she could only hope the weird powder she had been given would work.

She looked out the window and wondered who would get there first, her dad or Jim and Toby. She hadn't realized she had left the boys behind but she couldn't be bothered to care, it wasn't like they needed to be here for this part. Her stomach clinched as she saw a familiar car turn down the street.

She opened the door to her father right as the back door slammed open with the arrival of her friends. She flinched but managed to toss the handful of Hallchose at her dad- the only sure way she could think of to get him to smell it in time for him not to notice the pillow. Startled, Javier backed away and sneezed violently.

"Sorry! My bad! Anyway, here's Enrique, safe and sound and fast asleep," she held the pillow at an angle, as if presenting a baby for viewing.

Javier rubbed his eyes and sneezed again before squinting at her in agitation. He then looked down at the bundle in her arms and his features softened in relief. He sighed then leaned forward and kissed the pillow with tender affection. He looked up and ruffled her hair.

"I had the most horrible dream," he began to say until he caught sight of Toby and Jim crouched down behind the sofa and watching them. He straightened and his face took on a familiar look of stern disapproval. He cleared his throat and held out Enrique's diaper bag.

"Don't stay out too late," he told Claire. He turned as if to go then spun back around and quietly asked, "Do you remember why I asked you to watch your brother? I don't have an appointment, do I?"

Claire was taken aback for a moment, not having thought he would need a reason. She recovered quickly, plastering on a reassuring smile, "Actually, really, I offered. I said that you needed a break! I mean, you had mentioned it in passing and so I took you up on it! So, you should go home and enjoy yourself. We won't stay out late, promise."

Javier nodded and gave one final pat on the head to her and to the pillow, "You're a good girl, Claire. Don't let anyone change that." He glared over her shoulder then left.

When his car pulled away Claire slumped to the floor and let out a shaky breath. She hated lying to her parents but she was so relieved to have pulled off the deception.

"Wow, I can't believe that worked!" Toby cheered as he and Jim left their strategic defense barrier.

"I can't believe it either," Claire said with an exhausted note in her voice. She leaned back against the wall and looked up at her friends.

"What now?"

Jim considered Claire's question and gave a hopeless shrug before admitting, "I'm not sure."

O-_-o-_-O

"Oh, what now?"

"Hm?" Barbara pulled her eyes away from the clipboard in her hands to look up at one of her nurses. The woman was a little taller than Barbara and had lovely dark brown skin that made her teal scrubs stand out in vibrant contrast.

"Your phone is going off again." The nurse said, pointing to the glowing rectangle in the doctor's coat pocket. She rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile and handed a folder of papers to Barbara before commenting, "Honestly, that thing has been pinging all morning. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, things are fine, I'm sorry if it's distracting."

"I'm more worried about you being distracted."

"Oh, leave her alone, Brittney," a nearby CNA chimed in. A shorter man in maroon scrubs strolled over and nudged the nurse's arm with a wink, "Can't you tell the doc is flirting with her boyfriend?

The nurse's dark brown eyes lit up as she looked back to Barbara for confirmation. When the doctor only winced and blushed, Brittney squealed in delight and bounced in place.

"Details, woman!"

"No, no details. Back to work, both of you. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to make a quick trip to the little girl's room and then it's back to work for me too."

"Code words for going to check her phone," the CNA observed with a knowing bob of his head.

"Worse than a high schooler," Brittney agreed with a nod.

Barbara tuned them out and ducked around the next hall. She smiled and shook her head as she dove into the closest family bathroom and locked the door. It would only be a minute. But her staff was right, she hated to admit that she was distracted. Still, she wanted to stay available in case anything happened.

Thankfully, the alert on her phone wasn't anything terrible or urgent. In fact, she had to stifle a laugh and turn down her phone's volume at the video Walter had sent her. Draal's face was occasionally obscured by Walt's shoulder as the changeling tried to keep his filming subtle.

Draal and Otto were belting along to Journey.

She was surprised at what a lovely singing voice the troll had and even though she laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, she had to admit that they were both quite good. Before the video ended she could just make out Otto happily boasting about once killing a man to this song playing in the background.

"Like something out of a bad B movie!"

Barbara flinched and tried not to think too hard about that. She knew the sort of people these men had been- and possibly still were. These men who were not men at all. She bit her lip and recalled one of her earlier arguments with Walter on the subject, about having double standards. One of Draal's titles was The Deadly, and yet she considered him adopted into her family.

None of this was ever going to be easy. She thought she felt the beginnings of a headache.

However, she wasn't able to keep her pensive mood for long. Not when she played the video back again and watched how much fun the troll was having. Then, Walter's follow-up text sealed it and she laughed out loud.

 _I'm afraid we have introduced him to 80's music. I apologise._

Attempting to stifle her giggles, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. Yes, her life was infinitely more complicated now but she felt that it was well worth it.

O-_-o-_-O

NotErique shook his head as he fought off the feeling of vertigo. The sudden shift from being in one plane then another left him dizzy and disoriented. After a few seconds of rapid blinking and a flick of his ears, he was able to get his bearings again.

"This place is jus' as cheery as I remember," he muttered to himself, looking around cautiously.

The changeling hadn't taken five steps before he heard a booming voice challenging him from behind.

"WHO ARE YOU?"


	5. Chapter 5

Flames filled his vision.

NotEnrique scampered to the left, barely avoiding a ball of fire bigger than his entire body. The smell of singed hair filled his nostrils and he quickly patted his back with wide-eyed concern.

"Not me scruff!"

"WHO ARE YOU!"

Another ball of flames had the changeling scrambling behind a large rock for cover. Despite the demands, it appeared that his attacker wasn't interested in stopping long enough for an answer. The stone at his back shook as it absorbed the blast meant for him and the changeling's ears flattened in panic.

Then, nothing.

In the unexpect silence that followed, NotEnrique cautiously poked his head around the corner. An ear tilted up in confusion as he realized the threat had disappeared. Or, so he thought. A sudden warmth at his back had him spinning around with a yelp.

"Oh, not _you!_ "

The changeling took a step back as what was left of his scruff bristled up like an angry cat. The vaguely human shaped mass of flames flickered in sudden uncertainty, confronted with an accusation that held exasperation and familiarity rather than the expected fear.

"Go away, Heatling," NotEnrique said as he caught his breath. His panic was melting away to irritation. He had spent long enough in the Darklands to remember this particular nut-job.

"Rob."

"Wha?"

"The name is Rob, not Heatling."

"Heatling is what ya are, I don't care what you're calling yourself these days." NotEnrique rolled his eyes and the flames dimmed further for a moment. "Anyway," the changeling added, looking around them with a renewed sense of purpose, "get lost. I'm on an in and out mission. I don't have time to play with you."

"Gun Robot does not play!"

"'Course not. Now, go not play somewhere's else. You'll draw too much attention." A part of him was a little curious about the whole Gun Robot thing and about how the Heatling could know about that silly show from here in the Darklands but he didn't really care. A few decades ago, when last he had crossed paths with the fiery genetic experiment, he had been going by Lord Death Breather and he hadn't cared then, either.

"What kind of mission? What are you doing?"

"Somethin' stupid."

The Heatling gave a loud laugh that sounded forced and just this side of sane, the flames across his body growing bright once more. NotEnrique tried to shush him and began backing away.

"I will come with you! Gun Robot, reporting for duty and ready to assist!"

"I don't need your assistance, ya kook! I'm heading to the Nursery, you'd only get us caught!"

The flames vanished in an instant. Instead of fire, now a creepy, smoldering humanoid stood. Rob's skin looked like coal embers and dim orange light weaved through cracks like rivulets of lava from head to foot. Though his eyes still burned like torches, he now blended in better with the dark and ruined terrain.

"Don't worry, Gun Robot has a stealth mode."

NotEnrique sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to be escaping "Rob" anytime soon. For now, he'd let the Heatling tag along and plan about how best to ditch him later.

In the distance a Nyarlagroth roared and the ground beneath them quaked.

The changeling's ears flattened and his shoulders tightened with renewed trepidation. He really did not want to be here. But he had a mission.

"Fine. Let's go."

O-_-o-_-O

The van shook to the rhythm of music and to the banging of Draal's fists.

"Thunder! Feel the thunder!"

 _THUMP THUMP THUMP_

"Lightning and the thunder!"

Walter bit back his laughter as he recorded the singing troll, preparing more footage to send to Barbara later. He noted the newly formed dents in the floor and wondered if Otto had been serious about there being a rental deposit. Hopefully his fellow changeling had simply stolen the van outright so there would be no need to explain the various damages.

As the song ended, Draal beamed, all of his earlier reservations about singing now long gone. He snorted around his nose ring then focused his attention to Otto. Otto had none of Strickler's restraint and had been giggling the entire time while trying to keep enough of his attention on the road so as not to land them all in a ditch.

"Again!"

"Amusing though you are, I do believe three times in a row is quite enough for one song," Walter answered. He smirked, "Besides, I don't think the van could survive another encore."

Draal huffed but decided not to argue.

Walter switched off Otto's mobile before the auto-play feature could start the next song and instead switched back to the van's radio. Despite the temporary amusement provided by teaching Draal of human music, the changeling could feel the restlessness clinging to the van. Almost five hours had past and he was honestly surprised by how smoothly everything had been going on the trip thus far.

Otto seemed to share some of his thoughts. Three minutes hadn't passed since Draal stopped singing before the other changeling sighed dramatically, "I'm bored. And tired. We should switch seats soon."

Walter nodded then said, "Take the next exit."

"What are you doing, now?" Draal asked. He had stopped paying attention to the other occupants of the van shortly after his song went off. He looked out the window in confusion; they had stopped for gas already and he had understood that concept but this building didn't have any pumps in front of it and he couldn't figure out why they were pulling up to it.

"I need to use the bathroom. This is a rest stop. We are going to do what the name suggests and rest for a bit. My butt is asleep."

Strickler nodded, "I, too, would enjoy the chance to stretch my legs for a bit."

Draal sighed and rolled his eyes. He could tell from their patronizing smiles that they were also rubbing in the fact that he would be stuck in the van while they got to get out for a while. Even if the they weren't out in the open where any passerby might see him, the sun had finally escaped from behind the clouds. He wouldn't be able to risk it. So he slumped forward and tried to stretch in the limited space, grateful to at least be off the bumpy highway for a while.

"Don't take too long. I'm ready for this trip to be over."

"Aren't we all," Otto agreed as he shut the door. He patted the side of the van with something akin to fondness before walking away.

Strickler hadn't bothered holding the door for him and he found the man inside staring down a vending machine. He shrugged and turned down a small side hall, following the signs towards the restrooms.

Walter glared at his options. All of it was garbage, but then, what had he been expecting? He dug for his wallet as he debated between the glazed honey-bun or the cherry danish- neither option much resembled their oven fresh counterparts. As he fed a dollar into the machine, he didn't acknowledge the facilities worker coming up from the same hall Otto had gone down.

The custodian stopped in her tracks when she saw the man, her rolling mop bucket now forgotten. Grey eyes narrowed at his familiar profile and she shifted her grip on the wooden handle in her hands. Walter Strickler was the very last person she would have expected to see at her outpost. What was such a high-ranking member of the Janus Order doing here, of all places?

Such a high-ranking _traitor_.

Beautiful visions of getting promoted out of this dump and to a more prestigious assignment danced through her mind as the oblivious changeling collected his snack and walked out the door. She smiled as she raced to her supply closet for something to use as a weapon.

Walter had almost made it back to the van when something barreled into him from behind. The man let out a startled swear as he dropped his danish and staggered forward. He just managed to follow the momentum and regain his balance before his legs got swiped out from under him.

He rolled as he hit the ground, managing to dodge a blow meant for his head and to catch sight of his attacker.

"Who the devil are you?" He asked as he leapt back to his feet, his reflexes finally catching up to the situation. His eyes darted over his opponent as he squared off against her, feet already moving and arms moving up to guard his center.

He cursed the sun as the woman darted forward, swinging a hammer and grinning like mad.

"Why Stricklander, I'm so sorry you can't be bothered to remember such a lowly minion as I. But! Perhaps if I collect your bounty, I will have enough clout that being forgotten will never be an issue again!"

"Ah," he grunted. So, this rest-stop was one of the random outposts that belonged to changeling hands. Well, didn't that just complicate things. He side-stepped another blow and brought his leg up in a high arch, catching the woman in the side of her head.

Blonde hair slipped loose of it's messy bun as the changeling paused to wipe the blood from her lip. It was a moment of inaction that Strickler jumped on in an instant, kicking out again and backing the woman up.

With a grunt, she swung out with her hammer and caught the man at his elbow as he threw out his arm to block. He hissed but didn't falter.

Where the hell was Otto?

He could hear the van shifting on its wheels behind him and he edged closer to it, forcing the woman to follow.

Just as he was getting exasperated at having to fight in his human form, a cloud drifted across the parking lot. Both changelings switched, neither bothering to look up to see how much time they might have.

What had formerly been a tall blonde woman who looked nearly forty was now a squat troll with five eyes and jasper-red skin. She snarled and launched herself at him, claws extended and fangs bared.

Strickler didn't even have to block or dodge.

A purple blur swooped in to intercept the troll and sent her flying backwards.

Sharp green eyes glowed with menace from the new arrival as the aggressor stumbled to her feet.

"Agent Nomura?"

Stricklander let loose a shower of daggers, knocking the red changeling off balance and sent her tumbling into their van. Before any of the changelings could make another move, the back door flung open and two large arms shot out- one blue and one bronze.

The hapless troll let out a frantic yell when she suddenly found herself thrown across the parking lot. To the side of the lot still sitting in sunlight.

The plum of dust that billowed up from the slain changeling glittered in the air before being blown away.

"Nomura?" Draal asked, disbelief in his voice but hope and confusion in his eyes.

"Do I smell like Nomura?" Came Otto's voice from behind the illusion.

Strickler shifted back and rolled his eyes. He looked down at the danish that was now smushed into the pavement and sighed, "That could have gone better."

Otto resumed his human form as well and shrugged, "At least we got in some exercise. I for one, feel lots better!"

"Why did you look like Nomura?" Draal asked, unwilling to let the subject drop.

Otto walked over and shut the door back, noting the movement of the shadows around them. Once he had climbed back into the van, this time into the passenger seat, he turned to look back at the blue troll behind him, "I am a Polymorph. I can assume many different forms."

"Why _didn't_ you switch to your own skin?" Walter asked as he climbed behind the wheel- pastry be damned, he didn't feel like going back for another one.

"Agility," the changeling answered stiffly. Walter left it at that and turned the key in the ignition.

Draal's brow remained creased but he didn't say anything else as they pulled away from the rest stop.

"Who even was that?" Otto asked after a few minutes had passed and they were back on the interstate.

Walter shrugged, "I honestly have no idea. But then, if I kept track of every person out to kill me I wouldn't have time for anything else."

Draal was frowning as he stared at the back of Otto's headrest. Of all the things he had expected to see when he threw open the door to the sounds of a battle, Nomura's likeness had not been anywhere on the list. His stomach gave an uneasy flip and he frowned harder.

He needed to take his mind off of- whatever emotion it was rolling through him. He didn't have a name for it, only that he didn't like it.

"You should put on the Journey people again."

Strickler's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror before he nodded. Soon, the opening guitar of _Only the Young_ was cutting through the strange atmosphere that had settled over the van. By the time the chorus hit, things felt as if they had gone back to normal and Walter allowed himself to sink back more comfortably in his chair as he merged into traffic.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew that somehow the dynamics between the three of them had shifted yet again. Or, perhaps not _shifted_ , so much as settled more firmly into place.

O-_-o-_-O

"And then, when one of his auxiliary blasters jams and you think that Dr. Luminus is going to win, Gun Robot swoops-"

"Oh my g- ugh- will you _please_ stop talking!" NotEnrique begged. His ears were pressed flat to his head but he still couldn't manage to drown out the Heatling's endless babble. At this rate, they were sure to be caught.

Rob paused a moment and turned his eerie glowing eyes to the small changeling he had insisted on following. Flames danced close to the surface of his coal like flesh and the temperature began to rise.

Sensing that he had made a misstep, NotEnrique quickly backpedaled, "I mean, aren't you suppose' to be in stealth mode, _Gun Robot_."

If the Heatling caught the sarcasm behind the last statement, he let it slide. The fires dimmed once more and whatever ire Rob had felt had passed just as quickly as every other mood swing he had had over the course of the last twenty minutes.

"Stealth Mode reengaged."

"Should'a never been un-engaged," the changeling muttered to himself as he tossed a narrow-eyed glare over his shoulder.

The blessed silence that exchange had won him lasted only another minute before it was broken again, but this time it wasn't Rob.

NotEnrique let out a surprised and high-pitched scream as he was suddenly snatched up. He had been passing a jumbled bramble of thorns when two long arms darted out from the gnarled plants and grabbed him.

The changeling struggled and thrashed, before he felt fingers close over his mouth and a warm breath on his ears.

"Shut up," a familiar, gravelly voice commanded.

NotEnrique went limp then cautiously looked up into the face of his captor.

"Nomura?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Ah!" Barbra let out a gasp of surprise at the sensation of something ramming into her back. She had barely righted herself before she cussed and winced at a sudden throbbing in her knees.

Right before the mysterious pains, she had been passing by a nurse's station and so she quickly sank behind the desk to sit down in the empty chair. She wanted to be seated in case there were anymore incoming magical surprises.

Had Walt fallen down? Was he in a fight?

Just as she picked up her phone with the intention to find answers, she dropped it in sudden pain. Her entire right arm felt as if lightning had stuck it, agony beginning at the elbow resonated up to her shoulder and down to every digit. Tears clouded her vision as she bit her lip.

"Shit!"

Brittney poked her head out of a nearby room, "Everything okay?"

Barbra attempted to turn her grimace into a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

The other woman's brown eyes narrowed in suspicion, "You sure?"

"Yup! J-just a cramp. Muscle spasm. No big."

Brittney looked over her shoulder to her patient before turning back, "Have you been getting enough potassium?"

Barbara shrugged as she tried to gingerly rub at the soreness, "Maybe not."

The nurse nodded then wagged an authoritative finger at the doctor, "If you're sure you're okay I need to get back to Mr. Gonzales. But you let me know if you need anything."

The pain was fading now and no new hurts had happened. She nodded to the woman and waved her off with a more genuine smile. When she was alone again she took a deep breath and picked her phone up off the floor and pulled up Walter's contact.

 _What was that?_

She waited two full minutes before shooting the same message to Otto.

 _Apologies doctor. We ran into an former coworker but all is well now._

She frowned.

 _Then why hasn't Walter answered me?_

She breathed a sigh of relief at his nearly instant reply.

 _It is his turn to drive. Also if he were any more hurt or dead, you would surely know it._

She slumped back and sighed. Of course. That made sense. She looked back down at her elbow and rubbed at newlyforming bruise. Former coworker, indeed.

"Doctor Lake?"

"Hm?" She looked up quickly at the new voice.

"Room seven is ready to see you."

She accepted the patient folder and shoved her phone back into her pocket. Whatever had happened, she would have to wait to find out the full story. She still had work to do. But first, ice and ibuprofen. Room seven would be fine for another few minutes; best to try and fight the swelling now as she suspected Walter wouldn't.

O-_-o-_-O

Jim walked down one of the many crowded streets of Heartstone Trollmarket and let his feet wander on autopilot while his mind drifted. He allowed himself to really look at the beauty of the world around him and took in the subtleties and richness that it had to offer. As nearly all his visit had been driven by a mission or his time allotted to another's schedule, he rarely had the chance to simply walk around and sightseeing.

The street was busy but most trolls had gotten used to him and now usually chose to ignore him unless they needed something. He found himself unbothered as he weaved between the stalls and stone bodies, a welcome change of pace from the usual hustle of tasks requested or training insisted upon. As he lost himself to the noise and sights of the underground city, he mulled over his current situation.

He had left Blinky in his basement, the troll still engrossed with Walter's personal book collection even after finding a cure, and Toby had been shanghaied into a shopping day with his Nana. Claire -taking the couch pillow with her- had gone home to do damage control and look for clues as to why NotEnrique had run off. He had offered to go with her but since her father still didn't like him, she insisted it would go smoother if he weren't there. That left his afternoon free and with nothing pressing immediately for his attention, but still feeling as if he needed to do something, he had decided for a walk.

After the third time of nearly getting stepped on, Jim turned off the main street to a side passage, heading towards the crystal embedded cavern wall. With the ease of practice and the dexterity of his youth, Jim scaled the wall, aiming for a small portion of ledge that sat back from and above the market. When he reached the small overhang, he turned to let his legs dangle over the side and leaned back into the rough stone. The sounds of haggling and gossip were duller from his newly claimed perch and he sighed.

Trollmarket, no matter how many times he saw it, truly was breathtaking. As he gazed over the twinkling lights, he idly ran his hand over the lapels of his jacket. After a few minutes of gloom and worry, he took a deep breath and attempted to force himself to relax. With Angor Rot no longer hunting him and two high ranking former Janus Order operatives defecting and now living in his house, the overwhelming sense of danger and racing against an unseen clock had subsided slightly over the last week. But those were only two items marked off leaving a whole list of problems still to go.

He had recently been told (more than once) that he needed to remember that he didn't have to face every problem alone, and he was trying to apply that advice now. It was Strickler, of all people, who cornered him offering advice and trying to assuage his anxiety. Jim bit his lip as he considered his former teacher's counsel: that he should focus on the things he could control and to stop putting energy into worrying over things that weren't in his power to affect.

His first instinct had been to roll his eyes at the changeling but he could admit the man had a point. Even though he agreed, it was another matter altogether to abide by that philosophy. Still, he put thoughts of Aaarrrgghh and NotEnrique aside and tried to think of something he _could_ do something about.

There was always the pile of homework that he needed to catch up on. But, try as he might, school continued to feel more and more trivial in the face of all the new responsibilities thrust upon him by trollkind.

So, no on the homework for now.

He reached for his amulet and rolled it over in his hands, its familiar blue glow an unexpected comfort. He frowned and flipped it over, tracing the lines that opened it. Three days ago he had added the Kill Stone into the amulet but the third Triumbric Stone was still out there, somewhere. He could focus on that.

Just as he had made up his mind, a distant horn sounded and all the lights throughout the city began to dim. Panic cut through his recently won sense of calm and he scrambled down from his perch to investigate. Of course something would happen the very moment he tried to relax.

O-_-o-_-O

Javier pulled a shopping cart from the corral and walked through the sliding doors of the department store. It had been a long time since he had had a day all to himself. It felt pretty nice, he decided. He would have to thank Claire for suggesting it.

She was such a good kid, no matter what those no-good boys from school were trying to do to corrupt her.

He smiled to himself as he passed the home-goods area, heading for the small appliances. Somehow, something had jammed their blender and he needed to get a new one. He could only hope that the machine broke naturally and not as a result of that stupid party the Lake kid and hosted in his kitchen.

He shook his head. No, no. He was having a relaxation day and nothing, least of all thoughts of Jim Lake, was going to take that from him.

He had almost made it to his destination when he stopped.

He did a double-take.

The blood drained from his face and he could feel the panic start to race through his entire body.

There, in a bin surrounded by pillows and blankets, was his baby boy.

O-_-o-_-O

Claire jumped as her ring-tone went off.

She had come home to find the house empty so she immediately marched into the nursery to begin looking for anything that her changeling brother might have left behind. Two texts was _not_ enough to go on. When he came back -because he was most certainly, without question, going to come back- she was going to throttle him.

She nearly dropped her phone when she answered to her father's frantic yelling. A sense of déjà vu washed over her as she deciphered what he was saying.

"Claire! _Tu hermanito!_ How could you!"

"Dad! What-?"

She could hear more yelling in the background, not just her father.

"Sir! You need to calm down!"

"Sir, are you okay?"

"Should someone call a doctor? I think he's having some sort of episode."

"Sir, can you put the pillow down?"

"Pillow?" Claire asked before her eyes widened and she smacked her head.

Oh no.

"Dad! Hey, dad!"

The call cut off. She tried calling back but it went to voicemail.

Forget throttling. She hadn't yet thought of a punishment severe enough for the little gremlin for causing all of this chaos.

Claire ran down the stairs and hopped onto her bike, praying that she would be able to act her way through some major damage control.

O-_-o-_-O

As he ran back towards the center of the Market, Jim summoned his armor and prepared for the worst. He was understandably surprised when he was immediately reprimanded.

"Put that sword away! Don't you know our guests are sensitive to light?"

Jim looked over his shoulder at Bagdwella as she shouldered past him, seemingly unconcerned about the current events.

"Guests?"

He spotted Aaarrgghh a few stalls down from him and, after dismissing his armor, shuffled his way through the growing crowd to stand by his friend. The massive troll bumped his nose against Jim's shoulder before encircling his good arm around the human to shield him from the bustle around them.

"What's going on?"

Another horn blast sounded and then Jim could see a procession of luminescent trolls walking up the Market street. Aaarrrgghh averted his gaze and whispered, "Krubera. My tribe. Live in deep caverns; rarely come up."

"Your tri-"

"Your visit is an unexpected honor, Userna." Vendel's greeting interrupted him, the troll's voice carring as he made his way through the gathered trolls to intercept the arriving party.

The female troll, carried on a pedestal by her entourage, inclined her head to the leader of Trollmarket.

"Vendel."

Jim turned with a small smile to mutter in his friend's ear, "Well, she's certainly as talkative as you."

Aaarrrgghh hummed in quiet acknowledgement but gently squeezed his shoulder to ask for silence and nodded his head back to the two leaders. At that moment, the queen turned her gaze over to them. She stepped down from the rock that had carried her and made her way over to where they stood.

"Aarghaumont, my kinstroll."

Aaarrrgghh carefully shifted Jim out of the way and bowed his head in deference to the royal, giving a soft grunt.

Userna closed the distance between them and pressed her horns to the other his, causing Aaarrrgghh's markings to flare brightly.

"The centuries pass but yet you remain forever in our hearts."

"My queen."

Formalities seen to, she turned to look down at Jim, mild curiosity gleaming in her purple eyes. She circled around to stand directly in front of him and Jim fought the urge to gulp nervously.

Vendel quickly stepped over to them and placed his large hand over the boy's back, "Allow me to introduce Kanjigar's successor, the new Trollhunter, Slayer of Gunmar's son."

"Um, James Lake Junior, your queen-ness."

"A human Trollhunter. I heard stories, but didn't believe." She cupped his face between her fingers and turned him back and forth as if inspecting livestock at an auction.

Jim did not break eye contact.

"Um, your highness, lady, why exactly have you come?"

"To celebrate this rare and momentous visit," Vendel quickly interrupted once more, "I propose a grand match of PyroBligst!"

The queen smiled, her eyes gleaming with self-assurance, "Then it is wise that I brought with me our tribe's two heartiest trolls."

"Aaarrrgghh will represent us! To be paired with our Trollhunter."

"Wait, what? What's PyroBligst? Some kind of game?"

Aaarrrgghh nodded, coming up to stand behind him again, "Tradition."

Userna smirked over her shoulder as she turned to leave, "I shall look forward to the game, later this evening."

Okay, so it was a game. One to which he didn't know the rules. As Vendel walked off and the crowd dispersed, Jim turned and asked, "Is he acting weird, do you think?"

Dawning realization lifted Aaarrrgghh's brows and he touched his arm, "Vendel knows… doesn't know _you_ know."

"Uh, okay, but then what- I mean, I don't get it. Is she here because of you?"

The large troll shrugged and winced, "Maybe."

Jim still wasn't comprehending. He felt like he had somehow solved two sides of a Rubik's Cube but had no idea how to proceed to match up the remaining faces. So, Vendel knew about the poison but didn't know that Jim knew, which probably meant he thought no one else knew- Aaarrrgghh did try to hide it at the beginning. That made sense. But, if they updated Vendel to the current situation, that might necessitate telling him about Strickler and Otto. There was no way talking about changelings could end well. That also still left the question of how Userna tied into everything.

"Maybe we should go back and talk to Blinky," Jim suggested. "Think we have time? When is this game suppose to start?"

Aaarrrgghh nodded and lifted him up on his back to speed towards the staircase, "Have time. Need Blinky."

 _ **Oh-ho-ho! Two updates in one month! Whatever has come over me!**_  
 _ **A good potion of the dialogue from the Krubera scene was lifted directly from the show, trying for a little canon among all the AU madness ;)**_  
 _ **Hope you guys enjoy!**_  
 _ **As always, I adore your feedback and I love hearing from you all~**_


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